Celebrity Bounty Hunter joins fight against Bail Reform in California

Dog the Bounty Hunter and Beth Chapman, best known for their reality TV Show have joined the fight against bail reform in California voicing opposition to Assembly Bill 42 which would drastically change the bail system. The bill, introduced by Rob Bonta of Oakland, would limit the ability of judges to place bail as a condition of release. The bill passed the public safety committee and has an identical counterpart sitting before the Senate Appropriations Committee. Opponents of the reformation point to huge costs that would ultimately burden taxpayers. They also urged lawmakers to consider the impact on victims who would no longer have the right to be heard at bail hearings and would see defendants released with minimal monitoring in some cases.

Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman said the hearing was a victory for bail reform opponents as lawmakers agreed to review their arguments. The hearing was packed with people having to wait outside in the hallways because there were not enough seats for all of the people. Chapman addressed lawmakers urging them to reconsider the bill. Most opponents to bail reform agree that the criminal justice system including conditions of pre-trial release should be reformed, but eliminating cash bail creates more problems than solutions. After Chapman spoke, one assemblyman, Reggie Jones-Sawyer, a co-author of the bill, said he was concerned about how the reforms would be put into practice and hopes that the bill could be redrafted with a compromise between supporters and opponents.